KENT WOLCOTTPilot
My name is Kent Wolcott, co-owner and pilot of balloon N80MK. My crew chief and wife is Inge Wolcott. The basket and burner are made by The Balloon Works while the AX-88A envelope is from Head Balloons. We flew it for the first time on 15 June 2008 with our partner, Geoff Egge, during the Father’s Day fly at South Park. I received my Lighter-Than-Air certificate in 1961 while still in high school although I did not fly a balloon until the mid-1970s when I was one of two officers-in-charge of the Cadet Hot-Air Balloon Club at the Air Force Academy. The Club had three Piccard balloons. My first “solo” flight in a balloon was during the October 1977 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Since I held a commercial Lighter-than-Air certificate, I had an Air Force Academy cadet student with me—this was the first time I had flown a balloon without an instructor. In March 1993 after I had retired from the Air Force, Inge and I bought our first balloon and thus began our 31 years of ballooning adventures. We flew some 25 years in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and many years flying in the Labor Day Lift Off (Colorado Balloon Classic); in Taos, NM; in Steamboat Springs, CO; in Snowmass, CO; in Rocky Ford, CO; in Montrose, CO; in Plano, TX; and in Scottsdale, AZ. Additionally, we have had many local flights in the Colorado Springs, CO area and in South Park, CO. Throughout the years, Geoff and his wife Berni have flown in Albuquerque and in Taos; they have especially enjoyed flying in Sout Park. Beginning in 1993 and through 2024, we are truly fortunate to have had a very loyal crew in John and Marie Poyzer. And for very nearly that long, our crew has also consisted of Harry and Sandy Hentschel, Chrisette and Wayne Soderberg; and Jane, Steve, and Jason Gabriel. Additionally, we are grateful to have had the Haas family, the Tagtow family, and the Peterson family crewing for us. Having said all of this, we (Kent, Inge, and Geoff) have sadly decided to sell our balloon--the envelope has 223 hours. Being a member of the ballooning community has enriched our lives; and we treasure all of the friends we have made over the years.